I will listen to the voice of the Lord, for it speaks of peace. His help is near for those who fear him. May the Lord, with his help, be always with you.
R/ And
also with you.
Introduction
by the Celebrant
Is the Lord
to be found also in the chaos of our doubts, our confusion, our hesitant faith?
Can he still be found in the disorder of our time? He is there, in the storms
and difficulties of the little world of our own heart and in the wide, divided
and threatening world, but it is hard to recognise him there. If we really
encounter the Lord in faith, friendship, and deep love, then the Lord makes
everything quiet, even when the storm wind keeps blowing, for he makes his
presence felt. Keep trusting, keep believing, for the Lord is here with us.
Penitential
Act
When we
sink into sin, we cry out: Lord, save me, for I am perishing. Let us ask the
Lord to extend his saving hand. (pause) Lord Jesus, you ask
us: People of little faith, why do you doubt? Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy.
Jesus
Christ, when we are full of fear, you tell us: courage! It is I! Do not be
afraid. Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
we ask you: if it is you, tell us to come to you across the water and to follow
you all the way: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy
on us, Lord, calm the storms caused in us by sin; give us your peace and lead
us to the joys of everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Let us pray
God for a firm faith that cannot be shaken (pause)
God our
Father, we believe in you, in your love and your care. But you know how our
faith is often tried by doubts, uncertainties and fears. Make our faith strong
enough to believe that your Son Jesus is with us to revive our faith and to
give us the courage to live with the risks of doubts and ambiguities, and to
confirm in their faith our brothers and sisters in need. Keep us hoping, and
let Jesus take us by the hand and lead us to you, our God and Father forever.
R/ Amen.
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
After
the Storm Came a Gentle Breeze: The fiery prophet Elijah is
discouraged when his efforts do not yield lasting results. He marches to the
desert, to the mountain of God. There God comes to him, not in fire and storm
but as a gentle breeze and gives him fresh courage.
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
May
My People Accept Christ: Paul is very sad that the Jews,
the people of the promise, have not accepted Christ. When the promised
Saviour came, they did not recognise him.
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
Tell
Me to Come to You across the Water: Peter stands for the
Church and also for each of us. If in the storms of our times we rely only on
ourselves, we are in danger. If we trust in Jesus Christ, we are safe.
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray
with great faith to our God who is ever-present to people. He speaks to us with
a voice of peace. Let us say: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
–
Lord, you are not in lightning and thunder of anger and revenge. Hear the cries
of your Church wherever it is persecuted and deprived of freedom, we pray: R/ Lord,
let us see your kindness.
– Lord,
you are not in the tornado of those who inflict harm on their opponents; be
merciful on their victims and on those who hurt them, we pray: R/ Lord,
let us see your kindness.
–
Lord, you are not in the earthquake of those who sow fear and cause wars. Give
peace and justice to their victims and also to those who hurt them, we pray:
R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord,
you are not in the fire of those who judge and condemn other people. Show your
gentleness to those who are their victims and convert the hearts of those who
hurt others, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
–
Lord, you are in the gentle breeze of people who try to serve you well and who
bring joy to their families and communities. Stay close to them and give them
courage, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
Father, we
hope in you, we trust in your word. Be near to us, let your Son be our
companion in life now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer
unnoticed—it takes place normally during the Agnus Dei—and the Gifts
Prayer over the Offerings
You wish to
reassure us, Lord our God, how much you are with us through him who is our food
and drink, your Son Jesus Christ. May he give us the courage to walk with him
the stormy road of faith and to take the risk of love. May we thus set our
fears aside and make his reassuring word the foundation of our life and work, until
we reach the haven of peace In you, our God forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction
to the Eucharistic Prayer
With one
heart and one voice, let us express our trust in God, for he gave us his Son
Jesus as our Saviour and companion in life.
Introduction
to the Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray
with the Lord Jesus, his prayer of trust in our heavenly Father. R/ Our
Father...
Deliver
Us
Deliver us
Lord, from sin and every evil and grant us your peace in our day. Keep us free
from discouragement and from all paralyzing fears. Help us to discover behind
obstacles the saving hand of your Son, that we may march forward with joyful
hope toward the full coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For
the kingdom...
Invitation
to Communion
This is
Jesus, the Son of God, who says to us today: “Take courage, it is I; come to me
and walk with me across dangers and obstacles.” Happy are we to receive the
Lord and to have him renew our faith and strength.
R/ Lord,
I am not worthy...
Prayer
after Communion
Lord God,
Father of all, you invite us through Jesus, your Son, to leave our timid
security and to come across the water with him to commit ourselves to you and
to others. Even though we do not see his hand reaching out to us and holding
us, give us enough trusting faith to be certain That with him we shall
overcome. Build up your future among us, until Jesus leads us across to you, our
God forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
This
Eucharist has been, I hope, a heartening experience of faith. We have expressed
our faith that Jesus our Lord is with us, that he never abandons us, that he
stays with us in the storms of life, that he extends his helping hand to us and
that with him we can overcome all obstacles. May this hope and trust always
grow in us, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go
in the peace of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.
***
REFLECTIONS
Mt 14:22-33; Faith
Today, the Gospel presents us with the theme of faith. And
it does so in a very graphic way with an example that we can all understand.
Believing is somehow like getting out of the safety of the boat and jumping
into the water in the middle of the storm. That is what Jesus asks Peter to do.
In a way he challenges him to trust him. But Peter hesitates because he feels
insecure. It is possible that we often feel like Peter, insecure. And we seek
reassurances that, like Peter, we will not find.
Sometimes we wish that faith were the result of a scientific
demonstration. Or that it had been a miracle or something extraordinary that
had provoked our faith. In the end, faith is supposed to put us in relationship
with God. And God is considered in these cases as a distant, powerful and
ultimately dangerous being for people's lives. Since we do not feel safe in
front of him, we want convincing proof.
The reality is that faith is the basic attitude on which any
relationship is established. A very clear example of this can be found in the
love relationship of a couple. Neither partner can ever say that he or she is
absolutely sure of the other's love. He or she only has signs: smiles, words,
caresses, phone calls... but nothing more. These indications confirm love but
are never conclusive proof. In the end, each person has to step forward and
trust. And trust each other.
It is exactly the same with God. We have no choice but to
trust him. Because we do not have and never will have conclusive proof of his
existence. We only have witnesses. One major witness: Jesus, who spent his life
doing good, healing the sick and loving everyone he met along the way precisely
in the name of God. He told us that his love was the fruit of God's love, that
he loved us with the same love of God and that we have to trust him. And we
have many other witnesses.
The many men and women who have followed him, trusted him,
and lived lovingly and doing good. But we have no proof of that love. We must
trust. In today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to throw ourselves into the water,
to live without fear, trusting in God's love. He invites us to believe in him
and to trust that, with him, we can overcome the dangers of life. Because his
love is always with us.
